Weeping

[britman]

After a long ride this past Sunday I noticed oil weeping from the top section of the clutch cover. It is apparently coming from right side top near the cam chain side. It is not a bad leak right now, but there is nothing I hate worse than oil running down the side of a clean motor. (Yes this is coming from a guy who owns two old Bonnevilles.) The gasket is about 10 bucks on Bikebandit but I would like to know from you guys who have done your own clutch and cam chain work how much of a pain in the arse it is to pull the cover and replace the gasket?

 

[hombre]

Pulling the clutch cover is easy. It's pulling/replacing the radiator and water pump that are the pain in the ass!

You might make sure that the oil did not come from your cam chain tensioner... that would be a much more common problem.

 

[warp9.9]

Walt is right of course but I would check a few things first. Reach down there and see if your cam tensionor nut is loose. And look up at the valve cover where the circular segmenst are if anyone had the cover off and did not seal this right it could be your leak. I am worried that it is on the same side of the engine that the oil transfer lines are on one in the front and one in the rear these leak when the head gasket is blown.
I am not trying to alarm you but I would check these before I tear into her.

 

[Pig9r]

George, have the son in law post some pics.

 

[britman]

Shots

I rode the bike home from work today, a total distance of about seven miles. I pushed her as hard as rush hour traffic would allow and shifted just before the limiter kicked in. The shots show the location of the leak. I am pretty sure it is a bad clutch cover gasket as you can see the oil coming out of the seam. I didn't wipe the leak down and hit the area with baby powder to show the wet spot. (No fat girl jokes please.) The cam chain tensioner is dry. Even after racking two hundred miles up this past Sunday, there wasn't enough oil to cause a puddle, so it is minor. I am going to order the gaskets and wait for my next oil change before tearing her apart. I just hope my dealer didn't reuse the old gaskets when he replaced the cam chain and sprockets.

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[warp9.9]

Don't be surprised if he did, but I would check and see if you got billed for it unless it was warranty work. I can tell you I am on my third disassembly on this gasket. I have extra around here but if it does not need to be change I do not, when I do I use permatex on the cover side it allows me to take her apart and inspect without sometimes. Either way I have two on the shelf with 2 ea. liftershafts,and lifter pieces for the clutch. I have a little more HP then you so I break **** now and then
If it aint wet upstairs then you are probably right especially if it has been opend up before.
Once you get good at it its about a 2.5 hour job if you haven't done it before well then clear the day and buy beer and take your time speed will come later.
the manual walks you thru it pretty good you will need about three three quarts of coolant if you keep the front up high some will stay in the block.

 

[mav68]

Mate my bike did exactly the same thing inside of a month old. Water pump seapage too.I would re torque every nut you can see on the engine and the bike for that matter. Those small bolts I used a 6 inch spanner and they all firmed up 1/4-1/2 of a turn on a cold motor. I would not worry to much about torque settings from the manual. Use a small spanner and use what seems firm and resonable by hand espicialy if the bike is out of warranty. Had all sorts of leakages and vibrations in 1st 6 months. I just retorqued every nut and bolt by hand and have had not a problem in last 4 years of hard n fast.
Cheers Mav

 

[Toystoretom]

You can't reuse the old gasket. It tears and stretches when you pull the front cover off. That gasket is very, very thin. Inspect the mating surfaces to be sure no damage was done during gasket removal that would cause a leak. I glued the new gasket in place on the front cover before installation to make sure that thin gasket stayed in place.

Anyway... if you need some pointers on front cover removal I can help you. If you've never done one before plan on the better part of a day.

 

[warp9.9]

Don't tell my gasket Tom as I have opened it up three times on this gasket I like you used permatex to stick to the cover and when I take her apart everythong stays with the cover. this does not happen all the time but in the 6 times I have opened mine up I have replaced the gasket twice, once the first time and then once when I tore her on re assembly. your right about the gasket being thin .015" which makes a difference on lifter piece to lifter shaft location. Of course I do not use the standard cover as I have the TTS blower but I do not think that matters much.

 

[Pig9r]

Warp - Britman's situation is a little different, he has put thousands of miles on it since the last time the front cover was cracked open. I have reused one, but I had only put about 500 miles on it and it came off clean.